Adventures With Little Charizard
by IceCreamAndPizza
Summary: Based off of the story Journey To the Past. A collection of one shots revolving around Ash's life with Charlotte. No particular order, but will only go up to age five for now. Requests and suggestions always welcomed! WARNING: Contains spoilers for Journey to the Past.
1. Too Old For This

_AN: I promise I will not stop working on Life As We Knew It. I just really missed writing one shots like the ones in The Joys of Children, and I figured writing about Ash and Charlotte (Charlie) would mix it up a bit. Plus, I've had lots of ideas that I've been dying to turn into one shots. :) Enjoy!_

* * *

_Too Old For This_

_~Ash~_

_Charlotte: 3_

* * *

Lifting the hamburger toward my mouth, I couldn't help but smile before taking my first bite. This was just what I needed-a stress free day and a pretty decent hamburger. Granted, it wasn't the best one I'd ever had, but it was worth the wait.

Setting her tray down on the table, Ruby let out a puff of air before sitting down. I could tell she was a bit worn out from fighting Charlotte to eat her lunch. In the end, though, she had just settled for a half eaten lunch.

"I never imagined having to fight your daughter to eat," Ruby teased me, of course, blaming Charlotte's behavior on me. I knew she was only kidding, but I couldn't help but notice that whenever Charlotte behaved, it was her daughter, but when she misbehaved, she was _my_ daughter. Regardless, it was still weird even now to hear someone call this girl Charlotte my daughter. Two years ago, I didn't even know she existed.

"She just wants to play," I replied between bites of my hamburger. "She would have stopped when she was hungry anyway. After all, she is my daughter," I added, shooting her tiny smirk. " Unless we're in the middle of a Pokemon battle, we will stop to eat."

Ruby just shook her head in that way she always had as a kid. Even though she never said them, the words 'Oh, Ash' could always be matched with that headshake.

"I bet you wish you could play in there to," Ruby commented, a devilish grin on her face. "We didn't have any of these places in Pallet."

Gazing toward the giant indoor playground of the fast-food place we were eating, I let my eyes sweep across the various tunnels, slides and bridges. It was like a playground on steroids-minus the swings. "She doesn't know how lucky she is," I replied, some disdain in my voice. Despite my age, I couldn't help but be a bit jealous of my daughter. If they had one of these places in Pallet when I was her age, I would have begged my mom to take me there every day. No wonder Charlotte didn't want to eat right away. "It makes me wish I had lived in a bigger city."

"Pika pi!" I heard Pikachu call from somewhere beside me. Turning in the direction of his voice, I spotted him and Charlotte peering through the glass on one of the tunnels.

They both waved to Ruby and I, shooting us a big smile to show that they were both enjoying themselves. Just like it was odd for me to hear someone refer to Charlotte as my daughter, it was also odd to see her and Pikachu together. Thankfully-not that I thought it would be a problem-Pikachu had quickly warmed up to Charlotte, becoming her protector and best friend. He would even stay in her room until she fell asleep, and if she woke up, he'd always hear her before Ruby or I did.

"I know I've said this about a million times, but it still surprises me how good Pikachu is with her," Ruby remarked as she waved back at Pikachu and Charlotte.

"Yeah. He's had lots of practice," I replied.

Turning back toward me, Ruby gave me a funny look, narrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "Ash, is there something-" It was then I suddenly realized why she was giving me a funny look.

"With baby Pokemon!" I quickly corrected myself. "One of my traveling companions had a baby Togepi that Pikachu always looked out for."

"Oh okay," she nodded in understanding. Phew, glad I got that straightened out. "Togepis are really cute! Did it ever evolve?"

"Yeah, but it wasn't exactly a very happy evolution. I mean, my friend was happy Togepi evolved, but they were sad because after that they had to let it go. It needed to stay at the Mirage Kingdom and protect the other Togepi there from some evil guy."

"Oh," she quietly responded, frowning a bit. "That's always hard-letting a Pokemon go."

"I know, trust me," I sighed, remembering the Pokemon throughout my journey that I had to let go. "My friend was so attached to that Togepi, too. They were the first person Togepi saw when it hatched, so it thought my friend was its mother."

"Did they ever go back and visit it?"

"Not that I know of."

Had Misty ever gone back to see her Togetic? That I didn't know, and I had a feeling I would never find out either. In fact, I'd be lucky if Misty ever talked to me again after what I did to her and Brock. Speaking of Misty, I couldn't help but wonder what she's up to right now.

OOOO

While I threw away the trash from our lunch, Ruby went to gather Charlotte up so we could head back home. It was almost time for her nap, and with Ruby running things, Charlotte would be home for her nap as close to the planned time as possible. Then again, that's how Ruby was. She was very meticulous and she had to have a schedule for everything. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, considering I was never one who could follow a schedule very well, but she tended to get stressed out if she thought we weren't going to make the scheduled time.

Before I headed back toward Ruby, I happened to get a quick glance at her. She was speaking to Charlotte with one hand on her hip and the other in the air, counting down on her fingers. Whatever Ruby was saying to Charlotte, it was obvious she didn't agree, nor did she intend on listening to it. Instead, she gave Ruby a firm headshake before running away. Although I could tell Ruby was trying her best not to lose her cool, Charlotte's actions were only making it harder.

"Charlotte Elizabeth Hamilton," Ruby called out, using her firm, lecture sounding voice. Through being bossed around by her as a kid, I knew that in Ruby language, that tone of voice meant business and that you better listen up. "Come here right now young lady."

Keeping my distance, so I wouldn't be snapped at, I couldn't help but notice the other parents starting to stare at Ruby. I knew Ruby wasn't one to create a scene, so I could only feel bad for her when the other parents gave her dirty looks. Not only was it obvious Ruby was very young for a mom, but that fact that Charlotte wasn't listening to her only brought upon more looks. It wasn't her fault she was in this position-if anything it was mine-but if these parents knew Ruby the way I knew her, they wouldn't be thinking of ways to criticize her in their head.

"Adam," she hissed in my direction. For a second, I dumbly stared back at her before it dawned on me that she was calling me by the name I had asked her to use. Sighing, I ignored the eyes staring at me as I walked over to Ruby. "I told Charlotte it's time to leave, but she won't listen to me. I can't reach her either because she keeps running away."

"Pikachu," I called, sticking my fingers in my mouth to let out a small whistle. A short moment later, Pikachu appeared in front of me. "Can you got get Charlotte for us? It's time to leave."

Nodding his head, Pikachu scampered off to go search for Charlotte.

"I don't think this is going to work," Ruby muttered beside me. "If she doesn't follow him, there's no way Pikachu can physically pick her up and carry her out."

Huh. I hadn't thought of that. I had just assumed Charlotte would behave and follow Pikachu. Maybe I was giving her more credit than she deserved. Still, I had some faith that my daughter would behave. But sure enough, like Ruby had said, Pikachu showed up with a troubled look on his face and no Charlotte.

"Don't worry about it, buddy," I told him. If there was one thing Pikachu hated, it was disappointing people, so I had to often remind him that it wasn't his fault. Turning back to Ruby, I sighed. "No what?"

"Now what? We climb in there and get her." We both stared at each other, waiting for the other to volunteer to get Charlotte. "By we I mean you."

"But-" I tried to protest.

"I would go get her, but I have on a dress," she stated, gesturing to the sundress she was wearing. "Besides," she added, a tiny smirk on her face, "you did say you wanted to play in this."

That hadn't been what I meant, but oh well. I knew there was no fighting this one.

"Fine," I finally gave in. "Where did she go, Pikachu?"

"Your daughter went that way," Ruby told me, pointing to one of the tunnels above. Right. Like I said, Charlotte was my daughter when she misbehaved. Heaven forbid a bad behavior was inherited from Ruby.

Climbing into the play area, I got down on my hands and knees so I could crawl through the tunnel without hitting my head. Following Pikachu, I made my way through one of the plastic tunnels while the other customers watched After emerging through the tunnel, I was forced to follow Pikachu over a bridge that took us up even higher in the play thing. I know I'd probably done something similar to this at some point in my journey, but this was humiliating. I could just picture people like Misty and Gary laughing hysterically as they watched me climb through this maze of plastic tunnels and bridges.

"Charlotte!" I called out to my daughter when I spotted her. She was standing in one of the more open areas, staring down at Ruby to see if she would come get her. Hearing my voice, she whipped her head around, her face full of shock. "Charlotte, it's time to go now. We have to go home now so you can take your nap."

"No!" she shouted back, shaking her head. "Play!"

Before I could say anything else, she sprinted off again, climbing even higher in the play area. Knowing if I moved now, I could out run her and grab her before she got too far away, I quickly stood up to chase after her. But as I went to stand up, the sound of my head hitting the plastic tunnel reminded me of where I was and of how I was way too big for this place.

"Shit!" I cursed, as I watched Charlotte put even more distance between us. It was also then that I heard the sound of someone gasping in shock from behind me. When I turned around, there was a little boy who had stopped just before the exit of the tunnel.

"You said a bad word, Mister!" he yelled at me. His eyes were about the size of Pokeballs, and he looked like I had just told him Santa Clause wasn't real. "I'm going to tell my mommy! She says you're not supposed to say those words."

What? Great, just great. "Look, I'm sorry. Your mom's right. Don't say bad words. It was an accident, don't tell her, okay?" I practically begged the kid, a sense of panic in my voice. The last thing I needed was this kid's mom coming after me for letting the s-word slip. Before he could yell at me some more, though, I took off after Charlotte.

As I rounded the corner, I spotted her once again. This time, though, she was trapped between me and the wall, the slide her only escape. And if she tried to go back the way she came, I would be ready to snatch her and carry her out of there.

"You have till the count of three to get over here, Charlotte," I told her, trying my best to sound authoritative like a parent should. Unlike Ruby, I sucked when it came to disciplining Charlotte. No matter how hard I tried, I could never get my voice to sound serious enough for her to listen. What made it worse was that, even at the age of three, Charlotte was well aware of her daddy's lack of ability to successfully discipline her. She just couldn't take me seriously. "1…2…3…" I counted, using my fingers just like I always saw Ruby do.

Regardless of my efforts, though, once I reached three, Charlotte had yet to move an inch toward me. It was times like this that made me wish that, like, a Pokemon, I could just recall them into a Pokeball. Sighing, I stood up-this time making sure to be more aware of my surroundings-and headed toward her. I hated having to be the bad guy, but if I had to drag her out of there, I would. Before I could reach her, though, she opted for her only escape down the slide.

Racing to the edge of the play area, I frantically searched for where the exit of the slide was. "The slide!" I shouted down to Ruby once I figured out which one it was, pointing wildly to the big blue slide a few feet away from her.

Understanding my gestures, she rushed over to the slide just in time to catch a very surprised Charlotte as she emerged out of the slide. Relieved that we had finally caught her, I turned around to scan my surroundings for a way out. There was no way I was going to climb back the way I had came, so the only option I had left was the slide Charlotte had just gone down.

"Well, looks like we're going down the slide, buddy," I told Pikachu. I hadn't been down a slide since I was…well, a really long time ago.

Sitting at the entrance to the slide, I tried to figure out how I could get down the slide fastest. I knew sitting down wouldn't work, considering I was way too big already. That left me with either going down on my back or my stomach. Since I knew it would probably hurt more to go down on my back, I opted for my stomach. Before going down, I set Pikachu down and gave him a little push, sending him down the slide.

Lying on my stomach, I pushed off on the slide. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, though, as I started going down the slide, it quickly became clear that I was not generating the proper momentum to propel my self down the slide. Inch by inch, I basically Caterpie crawled my way through the slide, praying the end was in sight. Just as I was rounding the small twist in the slide, though, I felt something hit my feet. Now what?

"Hey Mister!" I heard an all too familiar voice yell in my ear. It was that same kid who had yelled at me for cussing earlier. "You're supposed to sit down when you go down the slide. My mommy says it's really dangerous if you go down on your tummy."

"Thanks for the tip, kid. I'm working on it," I replied.

Inching my way down the slide even more, I finally saw the light that indicated the end of the slide was close. Finally reaching the end, I squeezed my way through and crawled my way out.

"Um…" Ruby muttered as she stared down at me, unsure of how to react to what she was seeing. "Do I want to know?"

"Don't ask, " I shot back as I stood up and picked up Charlotte, who was standing next to Ruby, equally confused. After that, I led the way out of the fast food place, never daring to look back. I'd already had enough trouble for one day.

"Mommy! Mommy!" I heard that little kid yell as he came out of the slide. His voice was loud of obnoxious, ensuring everyone in the place could hear him, including Ruby and I who were already through the first set of doors. "That man was cussing _and _he went down the slide the wrong way!"

Grabbing Ruby's arm, I yanked her along as I quickened my pace. The faster we got away from there, the better.


	2. A Poke Dance Party

~A Poke Dance Party~

Charlotte: 3 years old

Summary: While taking a nap, Ash and Pikachu are forced to face their biggest fear when Ash's Pokemon mysteriously go missing, and Pikachu becomes a real life Poke Doll. On the plus side, Totodile ends up having the best day of his life.

* * *

It was a Saturday afternoon, and Charlotte was bored. Her dad was taking a nap, and her mom was busy cooking dinner. With both of them preoccupied, she would have played with Pikachu, but he appeared to be missing as well. That left her with nothing to do but stare out the window. But quite honestly, that wasn't cutting it for the energetic three-year old. Climbing off the kitchen chair, Charlotte made up her mind that if everyone was too busy to play with her, she would just find something to do on her own. After all, her parents always encouraged her to try and do things on her own.

"Charlotte," Ruby called, noticing her daughter climbing off the chair. As she had learned over the years, Charlotte was quite talented at disappearing without her noticing, "Where are you going, Sweetie?"

"Find Daddy," she answered back.

"Daddy's sleeping," Ruby explained to her daughter. "He was really tired, so you should let him rest. When he wakes up, I'm sure he'd love to play with you."

Charlotte just stared at her mother, not exactly understanding the full extent of what she had said. She was only three, so her comprehension wasn't exactly the greatest. Regardless, she brushed off what her mother had said and walked out of the kitchen, thinking her mom had given her the okay to leave.

Not wanting to leave her cooking pan unattended, Ruby was forced to remain where she was. For the most part, her and Ash's apartment was child proof, but her daughter tended to get herself in trouble. "Chikorita, can you keep an eye on Charlotte for me?" Ruby kindly asked her Pokemon. True she had gotten annoyed with Ash on several occasions for leaving Pikachu to watch Charlotte, but now that she was the one unable to keep an eye on her daughter, it didn't seem like such a bad idea.

Nodding its head, Chikorita rushed off to make sure it's trainer's daughter stayed out of trouble. Following its trainer's daughter, Chikorita stayed by Charlotte's side as she wandered into her parent's room. Glancing around the room, Charlotte looked for something that could be considered fun to do. Seeing that her dad was still asleep-and knowing that she would probably get in trouble if she woke him up-she searched for something else. Just about to give up and move on to another part of the apartment, Charlotte's eyes lit up when she spotted her father's Pokeballs resting on the nightstand, just within her reach.

Grinning from ear to ear, Charlotte tiptoed over to the dresser. Standing on her tiptoes, she reached her arm as far as it would extend and grabbed a Pokeball off the dresser. Which Pokemon it was, she had no idea; what mattered to her was that she now had a friend to play with. Not content with just two friends, Charlotte grabbed more of her father's Pokemon until she had all five balanced in her arms. Then as quietly as she had walked up to the nightstand, she made her way out of the room. Unsure of what the little girl was up to, Chikorita followed her as Charlotte led them into her own room.

"Come out!" she called, throwing the Pokeballs into the air like she had seen her father do many times. As the Pokeballs flew into that air, out came a Totodile, an Oshawott, a Snivy, a Squirtle and a Bulbasaur, all calling out their names when they were released. Grinning in happiness, Charlotte waved happily at her father's Pokemon. "Let's play!" she declared, clapping her hands in glee. There was nothing she enjoyed more than playing with her parents Pokemon. They always provided her with endless amounts of fun and laughter.

"Oshawott?" the little otter Pokemon inquired as he glanced around the room, confused as to why his trainer was nowhere to be found. To add to the confusion even more, there weren't any signs of a Pokemon Battle happening. "Oshawott, Osha Osha!"

"No worry," Charlotte told Oshawott. "We have fun. I pwomise!"

Walking away from the slightly distraught Pokemon, Charlotte headed over to her CD player. Pressing the magic button that would turn it on, she started up the CD she always enjoyed listening to. As the CD started, the music began to echo through her room, disturbing the sleep of her father's Pikachu in the nearby room.

Flicking his ear into the air, Pikachu cracked open an eye to see if there was any trouble. Noticing that its trainer was still napping on the bed, Pikachu stretched his body and yawned, figuring he would go investigate the disturbance on his own. Besides, by the time he could get Ash to wake up, whatever was making the noise might be gone. Hopping of his trainer's bed, Pikachu let the music guide his way, leading him to Charlotte's slightly cracked open door. Nudging open the door some more, he spotted her standing in front of Ash's other Pokemon, instructing them on the game they were going to play.

"Pikapi pi pi pi?" Pikachu called, dashing over to Charlotte.

"Pikachu!" Charlotte screeched, thrilled to see her father's prized Pokemon. She'd been hoping he would wake up so she could play with him. Scooping an unsuspecting Pikachu in her arms, Charlie squished him to her chest, making it hard for the little Pokemon to breathe. Normally, he hated little kids touching him and would hit them with a light thunder shock as a warning, but he knew if he did that, Ash would probably kill him. Loosening her grip on Pikachu, Charlotte extended her arms in the air as if she was going to toss him. After that, much to the dismay of Pikachu, Charlotte began to spin around, her child like giggles bouncing off the walls in her room. "Dance with me!"

As the music continued to play, Charlotte continued to spin around in circles with Pikachu as they 'danced' together. Following what Charlotte was doing, Ash's other Pokemon started to get into the music a bit as they too began to sway back and forth. Linking arms, legs or vines in the case of Chikorita and Bulbasaur, the Pokemon started to dance around Charlotte's room. Already excited about the prospect of dancing, Totodile instantly latched onto Oshawott's hands, dragging the water Pokemon with him as he twirled around the room.

_Pokemon-mon-mon!  
The journey's just begun  
Pokemon-mon-mon!  
The more the better  
Pokemon-mon-mon!  
Team Rocket's on the run_

At the sound of the evil organization's name, Pikachu started to panic, afraid the song was warning him of the arrival of Jessie, James and Meowth.

_Pokemon-mon-mon!  
We're friends forever_

As the lyrics to the sung wafted through the room, Charlotte took turns dancing with each of her dad's Pokemon, inventing as many dance moves as she could come up with. She even sang along to as many of the words she could remember from hearing the songs over and over. Grabbing Bulbasaur's vines, she started to twist back and forth with him, getting into the groove of the music. Thinking the little dance party needed more, Charlotte flicked off the lights in her room and grabbed her Ledian pillow that also functioned as a nightlight. Although it didn't do much to darken the room, considering her window was wide open and the sun was shining bright on this summer day in Viridian City, it worked for her. Pushing the button that caused it to switch between a green, red, white and yellow light, Charlotte stuck it in the middle of her bed, declaring it to be their disco ball. Turning up the music, Charlotte proceeded to pirouette around her room as she pretended to be a ballerina.

From his hiding spot under the rocking chair, Pikachu watched as Ash's Pokemon lost themselves in the music, simply enjoying their time out of their Pokeballs. While Ash did let them have time to run around, this was much more fun than wandering around outside. Like Ash's other Pokemon, Pikachu did enjoy having fun time, but Charlotte was too energetic for him. Unlike Togepi, he couldn't hold her back, and she always wanted to cuddle him like he was a Pokedoll. True, Pikachu recalled Ash being an energetic and exuberant trainer, but Charlotte had him beat. Simply put, Pikachu did love Charlotte and cared for her, but he liked to play it safe, and she was just too much for him to handle at time. As far as Ash's other Pokemon went, that was a different story. They adored Charlotte; she spoiled them with attention and always came up with more exciting things to do compared to Ash's ideas of fun. If only Ash's friend's Pokemon could meet Charlotte. They would surly agree she knew how to have fun.

"Dance with me Totodile!" Standing next to the water Pokemon, the two of them went on to continue Charlotte's ballerina dancing, as they spun around in circles as fast as they could. After a while, Totodile and Charlotte started to teeter back and forth, the little Pokemon's eyes slowly starting to turn into spirals. "Whoa…I all dizzy!" Charlotte managed to say between her giggles. Although her room was now spinning, she couldn't help but think it was still really cool and lots of fun.

Once the room stopped spinning, Charlotte quickly checked back in to the room around her. Although the song wasn't over, she was already bored with it and wanted to play the next one. Making her way over to her CD player, she pushed the button she had memorized as changing the song. Happy with the next song, she turned up the volume some more and turned back toward the Pokemon. Glancing around the room, she frowned when she no longer saw Pikachu amongst them. She loved Pikachu, and while it was fun dancing with her dad's other Pokemon, she wanted to dance with him! Spotting Pikachu hiding under the rocking chair, Charlotte grinned in victory as she ran over to him and pulled him-against his will-out form under the chair. And as she once again squished him in her arms Pikachu swore that, since he couldn't shock Charlotte for fear of getting in trouble with his trainer, he would surly make Ash pay.

_On the road to Viridian City_

_(I'm on my way, I'm on the road, I'm on the road)__  
__On the road to Viridian City_

_(I'm on the road)_

"Pikachu! We already in Viridian City," Charlotte laughed, finding the lyrics of the song to be rather amusing, considering her hometown. "We no need to go there!"

Meanwhile, while Charlotte flung Pikachu around in her arms like he was a rag doll, Ash and Ruby watched with curiosity from the small opening the slightly ajar door had left. When he had woken up, Ash had almost had a heart attack when he discovered his Pokemon missing from his nightstand. To make matters worse, Pikachu was no longer by his side. Convinced Team Rocket had tracked him down and stolen Pikachu while he was asleep, Ash had dashed out the door, only to come to a screeching halt when he spotted Ruby standing outsider their daughter's door, an amused smile on her face. When she spotted her boyfriend curiously staring at her, she gestured for him to come over but be quiet. Quietly making his way over to his daughter's bedroom door, he peeked through the opening the door had left, his jaw dropping at the sight before him.

"Found 'em," Ash sighed, relieved his Pokemon were not in the hands of Team Rocket. At the same time, though, he couldn't help but think that his daughter had been a lot more successful in the time it had taken her to steal them off his dresser than Team Rocket had been in twelve years. Then again, to Ash, it appeared as if Pikachu would rather be in the hands of Team Rocket than in the hands of an over excited Charlotte. "They look like they're having fun."

"Yeah, everyone but Pikachu," Ruby pointed out, feeling a little sorry for the electric Pokemon. Numerous times she had tried to explain to her daughter that just like people did, Pokemon had their boundries. Despite her efforts to teach her daughter this, it clearly had not stuck with her, or she had chosen to ignore her mother's lectures. "Look, she even created a disco ball," Ruby laughed, pointing to Charlotte's Ledia light in the center of her bed. "It's an official dance party alright."

"I think Totodile's in heaven," Ash chuckled, shaking his head as he watched his dance-obsessed Pokemon sashay down the room with his less enthusiastic Squirtle. Turning to Ruby, he asked, "Should we crash the party and rescue Pikachu?"

"Maybe in a bit. Let's just watch for now," Ruby suggested, focusing her attention back on Charlotte. Despite what she might have thought earlier, Charlotte was not getting herself in trouble. Instead she was just being herself, something Ruby couldn't help but enjoy secretly watching. "She looks so happy."

Nodding in agreement, Ash silently smiled to himself. Watching as she danced with his Pokemon, Ash couldn't help but be happy that, despite what he was already keeping from her, he could at least introduce her to the fun and joy of Pokemon. As the two of them continued to watch, though, the lyrics of the song left a bitter taste in his mouth.

_I left my home and now I see a new horizon_

_(horizon)__  
__But one day I'll come back to Pallet Town_

_( Im comin back, coming back)  
I'm on the road to become the greatest trainer  
And I won't quit until I'm #1_

Why the song mentioned Pallet Town, he hadn't the slightest clue, but the mention of his hometown left him with a heavy feeling in his heart. Although he hadn't directly left from Pallet Town, he'd sure left the town behind when he decided to go into hiding. Like the song stated, he knew one day he'd return, but as of now, he didn't know when that would be. For returning to Pallet Town would mean letting the Meowth out of the bag about the big secret dancing along with his Pokemon. He'd left so much more than Pallet Town when he decided out of fear that he wouldn't tell his mom or hid friends about Charlotte; he'd lost, at least for the time being, his dreams of being a Pokemon Master, and his determination to be number one. Now he was facing a new horizon ahead of him: fatherhood.

"-sh! Ash!" he heard Ruby hiss as she waved her hand in front of his face. Snapping out of his reflection on his life, he stared blankly at her, waiting for her to repeat what he had missed earlier. "I think it's time we crash the party."

"Oh."

Standing up, he followed behind Ruby as she pushed the door all the way open and announced her and Ash's arrival. Spotting Ash walking into the room, Pikachu made a run for it, leaping onto Ash's shoulder and out of Charlotte's reach. Seeing Pikachu glare at him to express just how unhappy he was about his daughter's antics, the raven-haired trainer cringed in fear, knowing it would take a lot of ketchup to make this up to Pikachu.

"Daddy!" Charlotte cried out in joy, running over and clinging onto her father's leg. Staring up at him, she put on the best Growlithe eyes she could muster. "I sorry I take your Pokemon. I wanted to play."

Knowing he couldn't possibly get mad at her with a face like that, Ash sighed as he nervously scratched the back of his neck. "It's alright, Charlotte," he assured her. "Next time just ask Daddy when you want to play with his Pokemon."

"Okay!" Running back over to her mother, Charlotte grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the spot in front of her bed. "Dance with me, Mommy!"

Smiling down at her daughter, Ruby grabbed her hands and began to twist back and forth with her. From a few feet away, Ash continued to watch them dance until he felt a tug on the bottom of his jeans. Looking down, he furrowed his brows in confusion when he spotted Totodile standing at his feet, a bashful look on the Pokemon's face.

"Toto…dile," the Pokemon squeaked, kicking his feet at in imaginary pebble. Convinced Ash didn't know what he wanted, Totodile began to hop back and forth from one foot to the other.

Understanding what his Pokemon wanted from him, Ash sighed as he picked up the Johto starter and lifted it up in the air like he used to when they won a battle. Although the thought of dancing with his Pokemon like this seemed rather foolish, it only reinforced how much Charlotte being in his life had changed him. It'd made him a big sucker-more than he already had been.

After finishing the rest of the song dancing with Totodile, Ash set the Pokemon back down as the next one started to play. Finished dancing with her mom, Charlotte made her way over to Ash, jumping up and down as she begged him to dance with her. Glad to oblige to his daughter's wishes, he bent down and scooped her up in his arms, this way of dancing seeming to fit better with the pace of the song. Noticing that his trainer was bring his daughter closer to him, Pikachu leaped off Ash's shoulder and over to the much safer spot on Ruby's shoulder.

Wrapping his arms around Charlotte, Ash pulled her close, letting her rest her little head on his shoulder. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Charlotte closed her eyes as she sat in her dad's arms, letting him sway her back and forth.

_You've been such a good friend  
I've known you since I don't know when  
We've got a lot of friends,  
But they come and go  
Even though we've never said it,  
There's something that the two of us both know_

Once again the lyrics of the song left Ash with a heavy feeling in his heart. A song clearly about friendship, it left him missing his friends more than anything in the world. Even more so, though, it left him wishing more than anything he could take back his decision after finding out about Charlotte. He would never regret going to meet her and taking care of her, but he regretted abandoning his friends without any warning and then keeping Charlotte a secret from them. While he knew he could have fixed things in the beginning, two years later, he'd dug himself so far into a hole, he felt trapped and without a way out. He doubted they would even speak to him again.

_Always gone that extra mile  
Depended on you all the while  
Even in the good and bad times  
You will see  
From now until our journey's end  
You know that you can always count on me_

Squeezing his eyes shut, Ash tried to block out the lyrics. The song wasn't about him and his friends, but it could be applied to them just the same. They'd been there for him time after time, good and bad, the ups and the downs. He was sure they would have even been there for him if he had told them about Charlotte. Instead, he had run from them without even trying. And now because of it, not only did he feel like he was missing a whole chunk of himself, but he'd also robbed his daughter of meeting the most important people in his life. So long as he continued to pretend like they didn't exist, she would never know about people like Misty, Brock, Dawn, Cilan, May or his mom. She'd never heart the stories about his travels if he continued to keep everything from her and her from his friends. She wouldn't be able to laugh with him about the days of his first journey when all he cared about was a badge, and all Misty cared about was her bike. The more he thought about it, the more he could just hear the daily exchange in his head.

"_C'mon you guys, I gotta get another badge!" _

"_You'd better figure out how to repay me for my broken bike, Ash Ketchum!" _

"_Oh no, not this again…" Brock would groan, already pulling out the asprin he kept in his backpack. _

"_Pikachu…"_

As he opened his eyes again, he sensed the steady breathing of his daughter as the tiny puffs of air tickled his neck. Worn out from dancing, she was passed out on his arms, her hands still wrapped tightly around his neck. Continuing to sway back and forth as the song came to a close and another more fast paced one played, Ash promised himself that eventually he'd get over this obstacle of his fear and tell his daughter about the amazing people that he'd befriended. When that would be, he didn't know, but he knew whether by choice or accidental encounter, one day his secret would be revealed and he'd have to deal with the repercussions. Until then, he would continue to be by her side and try to be the best dad he could.

_You teach me and I'll teach you  
Pokemon, gotta catch 'em all_

_Every challenge along the way_  
_With courage I will face_  
_I will battle every day_  
_To claim my rightful place_

_Come with me, the time is right_  
_There's no better team_  
_Arm in arm we'll win the fight_  
_It's always been our dream_

As the words of the current song played on, one last thought crossed Ash's mind. Since becoming a father, Charlotte had taught him a lot about maturity and sacrifice, but there hadn't been a whole he felt he had taught her. He didn't know a whole lot about the stuff Ruby talked to Charlotte about, but he did know about training Pokemon. He knew one day he'd get his shot to try for Pokemon Master again, but until then, he figured the strategies he'd built up over the years would best be put to use by teaching them to his daughter. It was pretty obvious she loved them just as much as he did.

With this new idea running through his head, Ash made another promise that day: He'd teach his daughter everything he knew about Pokemon and battles, ensuring that when she finally started her own journey, she'd blow everyone away and be the trainer he never was back then. Plus, what other way would he be able to see to it that one day his daughter achieved her dream of kicking Gary Oak's ass in a Pokemon Battle?

_Okay...so maybe that's my dream_.

Regardless, he would be sure it became hers.

* * *

**In case you are wondering...Yes, Charlotte owns a copy of the 2BA Master CD. :) Minus Misty's Song...**


	3. The Picnic

_~The Picnic~_

Charlie: 5-years old

Summary: Given a day off from work, Ash decides to take Charlie on a picnic to a spot near and dear to his heart. On the way home, though, Charlie insists on spicing up the trip by teaching her dad the new song she learned, displaying to her dad exactly where her priorities in life lie. And it's certainly not with knowing how to tie her shoes. Contains some Pokeshipping and sing along portions-if you so choose.

Little Scavenger Hunt: Can you guess the line hidden in this story that Ash has said in the anime?

* * *

Due to the Pokemon League currently taking place, most places in Kanto were closed so people could spend time with their families watching the matches. Ash's training center was no exception. Four years ago, Ash himself might have been participating in the league himself, but this time around, he was spending the time a bit differently.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Ash asked his five-year old daughter. Behind him, she was struggling to carry the heavy picnic basket she had insisted he let her carry on her own.

Furiously shaking her head, she continued to trudge through the forest. "No, I got it, Daddy!"

All Ash could do was shake his head, his daughter's stubborn attitude a reminder of how he was as a kid. Turning to the electric Pokemon on his shoulder, he said, "She doesn't give up very easily, does she?"

Leading the way, Ash finally came across a clearing in the forest. It was a wide and grassy area with a few rocks big enough for a tired traveler to rest on. Cutting off the area from expanding on and on was a river that flowed at a pretty high speed. A seemingly nice place for a picnic, it held a deeper significance to Ash.

"Alright, Charlie. We're finally here," he announced. Setting down his backpack, he walked over to his daughter, still adamant about helping her.

Relieved her dad had finally announced they had reached their destination, Charlie dumped the picnic basket on the ground. Kneeling down on the grass, she pretend to be checking the basket for any tears, while she actually stopped to catch her breath. Although she knew her dad wouldn't get mad if she told him carrying the basket had worn her out, she refused to admit he was right about it being too heavy for her to carry.

"Can I set up the blanket, Daddy?" Charlie asked, already digging into the basket in search of the picnic blanket. Before Ash could answer, Charlie snatched the blanket and yanked it out of the basket, pulling the sandwiches and drinks out with her.

Unaware of this, she carried on as she ran off, dragging the food and drinks with her. Placing his hand between his eyes, Ash just sighed and shook his head. "Hold up, Charlie. You've got some extra baggage there."

Stopping, Charlie turned around to investigate what her dad was talking about. Seeing the drinks and sandwiches scattered on the ground, she started laughing as she ran back over to pick them up. "Sorry, Daddy!"

"No need to worry, Charlie," he assured her. It wasn't really a big deal. "Just be more careful next time."

As he said this, though, he couldn't help but know this statement would go in one of her ears and out the other. Safety wasn't exactly one of Charlie's top priorities when it came to the things she did.

"Okay!" Placing the sandwiches and drinks back into the basket, Charlie once again rushed off to find a spot she thought would be a good place to have a picnic. When she ran off this time, however, she placed the blanket around her neck like she was a super hero. Jetting off, she raced across the grass as she laughed gleefully. "Look, Daddy! I'm a super hero!"

Forgetting about finding a spot for their picnic, Charlie ran around, letting her cape billow in the wind as she pretended she was flying. Climbing onto a rock, she stood tall and proud as she looked out over the river. "I'm invisible, Daddy!" Surveying the area, she spotted her dad sitting on the ground as he pulled items out of the picnic basket. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity to sneak up on him now that she had turned invisible, she hopped off the rock and rushed over to him. Sensing Charlie getting close, Pikachu leaped off Ash just as Charlie jumped onto Ash's back, clinging tight to his neck as she peeked her head around to look at him.

"I got you, Daddy!"

Pulling Charlie's hand off his neck so he could breathe, Ash stood up and suddenly began to turn various directions as if he was looking for something.

"Pikachu!" He called, his voice panicky and with a tint of concern. "Have you seen Charlie anywhere? I swore she was hear just a second ago. I heard her, but I don't see her anymore. She must have used her invisibility powers!"

Despite Pikachu's dislike of participating in these kinds of games with Ash and Charlie, he played along anyway. "Pi pi pi!" he yelled as he ran around in search of Charlie. "Pikapi Pi pi pi!"

Unable to control her laughter any longer, Charlie burst out into a giggle fit. "I'm right here, Daddy!" she called to her father. "I'm behind you!"

"Behind me?" Looking behind him, Ash furrowed his brow, confused when he didn't see her. "I don't see anything. Do you see anything, Pikachu?"

Pikachu shook his head.

Setting Charlie back down on the ground, Ash walked back over to the food. "Well, I don't know where she is, Pikachu," he told the Pokemon, angling his hands on his hips as he looked in the opposite direction of where Charlie was standing. "Guess that just means there's more PB&J for us."

"I'm not invisible anymore, Daddy!" Charlie yelled, running back over to her dad and Pikachu. Hearing this, Ash turned to see Charlie headed right toward him.

"There you are! I knew you'd show up when I mentioned food," he laughed to himself.

Pulling out a PB&J sandwich, he handed it over to her when she sat down.

"C'mon Pikachu," Charlie cried as she grabbed the sandwich from her dad. "Let's eat fast so we can eat again!"

"Slow down there, Charlie," Ash cautioned his very eager daughter. "The food's not going anywhere."

"But I'm hungry," she said through a mouthful of PB&J, little pieces of peanut butter and jelly already stuck to the corners of her mouth. Seeing her dad's warning glance, though, she quickly remembered her manners and swallowed first before saying anything else. "Oops. Sorry."

Pouring Pikachu a bowl of Pokemon food-with an added packet of ketchup-Ash grabbed a sandwich for himself. Smiling at his daughter as she tried to cram the sandwich in her mouth, he was reminded of himself and the way he acted as a kid. After that, a silence fell upon the group as neither father, nor daughter or Pokemon would speak until all the food in front of them had disappeared.

OOOO

Later into the afternoon, after all the food had been eaten and Charlie had tired herself out through playing with Pikachu, Ash found himself wandering to the edge of the river. Leaning back on his hands, he looked up at the sky. And as if it was his natural reaction, when Pikachu hopped into his lap, Ash lifted a hand to scratch his Pokemon between the ears.

"Can you believe it's been fourteen years, Pikachu?" Not sure what his trainer was talking about, Pikachu cocked his head to the side in confusion. Chuckling, Ash patted Pikachu on the head as he stared back at the river. "This is where Misty and I met. Or rather, this where she fished me out of the river, and where I then proceeded to take her bike."

"Pikachu," Pikachu nodded in understanding. He remembered that day. It was the day had had first met Ash, something he was initially not thrilled about. And although he was slight out of hit when Misty had fished Ash out of the river, he had heard the story enough times to know what Ash was talking about. "Pika Pi, pika, Pikachu pi?"

Frowning, Ash pulled at some grass. "I miss her a lot, Pikachu." Glancing behind him, he took a second to look at his daughter napping on the picnic blanket. "She'd know what to do with Charlie. I know she was a Tomboy, but she would know how to take care of a girl a lot better than I could." Ash paused to regain his thoughts a bit. "I wish I'd never left without telling them. If I'd known what would have happened between Ruby and I…I…well, I never would have waited this long without telling her or the others."

"Chu…" Pikachu whined, letting his ears fall to the side.

"I know, buddy," he sympathized with Pikachu, patting him on the head. "It's not fair to you. They were your friends too, and I bet you miss them as much as I do." Pikachu slowly nodded his head, unable to pretend as if being away from Ash's friends for long didn't have an effect on him. Plus, he really missed their Pokemon, who he'd befriend over the years. "It's not fair to Charlie either. She did nothing wrong. I shouldn't be keeping my friend from her like this."

"Pikachu, pi pika?"

"I don't know, Pikachu," Ash sighed. He could talk and talk about how what he did wasn't fair to his friends, Pikachu, or Charlie, but when it came down to it, he really hadn't done anything about it over the years. He'd just kept hiding, telling himself everyday how he would one day fix things. But four years had gone by, and he hadn't changed a thing. The only thing he'd changed is he'd taken one more person away from Charlie's life. "I keep telling myself that calling them would be like ripping off a band aid. It'd be hard and painful at first, but then it would get better, and it'd be like none of this even happened. But when I go to pick up the phone, I get too scared and I end up hanging up before I even dial a number."

"Pi pika chu!" Pikachu shouted at Ash, trying to give them a boost of confidence. "Pika, pika, piiiiika chu!"

Sticking his hand into his pocket, Ash pulled out a very worn and faded handkerchief. Rubbing his thumb across it, he thought more about what Pikachu had said. He'd been lucky that he hadn't run into his friends or that they had accidentally run into Charlie or Ruby. Eventually, though, that would be unavoidable when Charlie got older and when she went on her Pokemon journey. He knew he couldn't keep her form going; that would be completely selfish and she'd probably throw a fit even worse than when Ruby had left. She absolutely loved and adored Pokemon, and she told him every day how she would one day become a trainer and beat him.

But when she did go on her journey, she'd most likely battle Misty for the Cascade Badge, and she'd probably run into Brock when she traveled through Pewter. While the chances of her seeing Brock were slim, there was no doubt in his mind that when she went to Cerulean, Misty would instantly see the resemblance. Plus, if he didn't let her go to Pallet to get a starter, he would have to give her one of his Pokemon, something he knew wouldn't slip by Misty.

"I have to call her, Pikachu," Ash stated, scrunching the handkerchief as he made a fist. "Tonight, when we get home, I'm going to call her and at least talk to her."

OOOO

A bit panicked when she woke up to find her dad no longer next to her, Charlie searched the area before spotting him sitting near the river. Grabbing an extra juice box, she walked over to where he was sitting and plopped down next to him. "Hi, Daddy!" Sticking the straw into her juice box, she took a big sip of it as she turned to her dad and smiled. "What are you doing?"

"Just thinking," Ash replied, sticking the handkerchief back in his pocket before Charlie noticed. It wasn't like she hadn't seen it before. She'd found it in the boxes he'd stored his badges and league trophies. Convinced he'd gotten it from a princess, though, she'd interrogated him about who he had gotten it from and begged him to tell her about who had given it to him. "How about you? It looks like you're wide-awake now. Are you ready to head home?"

Late into the afternoon, almost brushing on evening, it was already six thirty. While Ash hadn't intended on being out this late, they had gotten a late start on their picnic, having not reached the place until almost three.

"No."

"Well, what are we going to do then?"

"I can sing the Poke Rap for you!" she suggested, coming up with anything that would allow them to stay there just a bit longer. It wasn't that she hated home, she just liked being outside a lot better. Plus, this was one of the few days where she got to spend a whole day with just her dad. "You can sing it with me, if you want!"

"The Pokerap?" Ash replied, shooting an incredulous look in Charlie's direction. Not until now had he ever heard of the Pokerap, so he figured it must have been something Charlie had learned in daycare.

"Yeah! It's only for Kanto, though." Pausing, Charlie swallowed her juice. "I want to be the best there ever was. To beat all the rest, yeah, that's my cause! Electrode, Diglett, Nidoran, Mankey, Venusaur, Rattata, Fearow, Pidgey, Seaking, Jolteon, Dragonite, Gastly, Ponyta, Vaporeon, Poliwrath, Butterfree!" Taking a deep breath, she proceeded to continue on. "I'll search across the land. Look far and wide. Release from my hand, the power that's inside. Venomoth, Poliwag, Nidorino, Golduck, Ivysaur, Grimer, Victreebel, Moltres, Nidoking, Farfetch'd, Abra, Jigglypuff, Kingler, Rhyhorn, Clefable, Wigglytuff!"

"You memorized all the Kanto Pokemon?"

Eagerly nodded her head, Charlie grinned from ear to ear, proud to say she accomplished such a feat. "I can sing more if you want!"

"Uh, that's okay," Ash assured her, scratching the back of his neck. How it was his daughter could memorize all the Kanto Pokemon, but couldn't tie her shoes on her own, he didn't know. "It's getting late, and we should probably head home before it's dark outside."

"But I didn't even get to the part with Pikachu!" Charlie argued, mad that her dad would cut her off before she could sing her favorite part. Granted, it wasn't in the next set, but it wasn't far off. Plus, she was pretty sure after he learned that, he would want her to continue so she could mention Pikachu.

"Charlie we need to get home," Ash reminded her, already standing up to go collect their picnic basket and clean up.

If there was one thing his daughter loved to do, it was sing. From the moment she woke up to when he forced her to go to bed, she would sing whatever song she had stuck in her head, thus causing it to be stuck in his head as well. Typically, the songs she sang were the ones she had learned in daycare, or they were from her collection of Pokemon themed CDs. He didn't necessarily hate her singing, but she always wanted to perform for him or have him join along. In all honesty, it was like having Jigglypuff following him around again, minus the falling asleep and doodles on his face.

Running over to her dad, Charlie watched him pick up everything from their picnic and throw it into the basket. Slinging his backpack onto his back, he turned around to face her as Pikachu hopped back onto his shoulder.

"Can I sing the rest while we walk home?" she begged, refusing to give up on sharing the joy of the Pokerap with her dad. Plus, by singing it, she got to show off her knowledge of all the Kanto Pokemon. "Pleeeeesssee!"

Knowing he wasn't going to hear the end of it unless he gave in, Ash reluctantly nodded his head. Jumping up in joy, she raced to her dad's side, ensuring that he would hear every word she sang.

"Should I start over?"

"Just start off where you left off," Ash quickly suggested, not wanting to hear the whole song recited again.

"Okay!" she gladly agreed. . "Catch 'em, catch 'em, gotta catch 'em all -  
Gotta catch 'em all - Pokémon!" For the next part of the song, Ash couldn't help but think she sped up a bit. "Zubat, Primeape, Meowth, Onix, Geodude, Rapidash, Magneton, Snorlax, Gengar, Tangela, Goldeen, Spearow, Weezing, Seel, Gyarados, Sloooowbrooo," she finished the phrase, dragging out the final Pokemon's name. "Get it Daddy? You have to say it slow because it's Slowbro!"

"Ha ha, yeah… I get it," Ash replied, even throwing in a bit of a fake laugh.

Not missing a beat, Charlie continued on. "Gotta catch 'em all - gotta catch 'em all! Gotta catch 'em all - gotta catch 'em all! Gotta catch 'em all - Pokémon! Kabuto, Persian, Paras, Horsea, Raticate, Magnemite, Kadabra, Weepinbell, Ditto, Cloyster, Caterpie, Sandshrew, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Golem, Pikachu!" For added effect, she leaped up into the air and spread her arms when she said Pikachu's name. "That's my favorite line."

"I bet it is," Ash replied, not entirely listening to what she was saying. While it may have seemed bad that he was ignoring her a bit, he was sure he would hear the song again, and he was trying to focus on not getting them lost.

"When I'm done singing, you tell me which line is your favorite, okay?" Satisfied with her dad simply nodding, Charlie carried on with her song. "At least one hundred and fifty or more to see." Ash couldn't help but laugh. He could attest to the fact that there were definitely more than 150 Pokemon. "To be a Pokémon Master is my destiny!"

"It is now?" Ash couldn't help but ask.

Giving him a silent response of a head nod, she moved right a long. "Alakazam, Doduo, Venonat, Machoke, Kangaskhan, Hypno, Electabuzz, Flareon, Blastoise, Poliwhirl, Oddish, Drowzee, Raichu, Nidoqueen, Bellsprout, Starmie!"

"Sound like we're halfway through," Ash remarked. He'd been counting along, just to figure out when she would reach the end. "I say we've been doing a great job."

"But I've been doing all the work, Daddy!" Charlie retorted, reminding her dad of just who had been doing the singing. It was a lot of work listing off the Pokemon in the order she had memorized them. Plus, her mouth was starting to get a little dry from all the talking. "I have to keep going, so here we go!"

"Oh man."

"Metapod, Marowak, Kakuna, Clefairy, Dodrio, Seadra, Vileplume, Krabby, Likitung, Tauros, Weedle, Nidoran, Machop, Shellder, Porygon, Hitmonchan!" For the next part, she really got into the song, practically shouting the words. "Gotta catch 'em all - gotta catch 'em all! Gotta catch 'em all - gotta catch 'em all!"

"Calm down there, Charlie. You don't want to wake up any Beedrill," her dad warned her.

"Articuno, Jynx, Nidorina, Beedrill, Haunter, Squirtle, Chansey! Pokémon! Parasect, Exeggcute, Muk, Dewgong, Pidgeotto, Lapras, Vulpix, Rhydon!" Moving on, she returned to the chorus. "At least one hundred and fifty or more to see! To be a Pokémon Master is my destiny!" By now they had reached the forests edge, downtown Viridian not to far away. "Charizard, Machamp, Pinsir, Koffing, Dugtrio, Golbat, Staryu, Magikarp, Ninetales, Ekans, Omastar, Scyther, Tentacool, Dragonair, Magmar!"

"You should take a break Charlie," Ash suggested, noticing how his daughter was starting to look a bit winded.

"But daddy, there's only twenty-four more to go!" she told him, not about to quit when she only that many left. "And it gets tricky here, so listen up!" Ash nodded. Sandslash, Hitmonlee, Psyduck, Arcanine  
Eevee, Exeggutor, Kabutops, Zapdos, Dratini, Growlithe, Mr. Mime, Cubone, Graveler, Voltorb, Gloom!"

"We're almost home, Charlie," Ash told her, pointing to their apartment buildings.

"Gotta catch 'em all - gotta catch 'em all! Gotta catch 'em all - gotta catch 'em all! Gotta catch 'em all - Pokémon!" Clearly he had been ignored. "Charmeleon, Wartortle," she continued on, saying Wartortle's name in a slightly deep voice that actually kind of scared Ash. "Mewtwo, Tentacruel, Aerodactyl, Omanyte, Slowpoke, Pidgeot, Arbok! That's all, folks!" Just then, Ash reached his apartment, something he never thought he'd be so happy to see. "Catch 'em, catch 'em, gotta catch 'em all! Ooh, gotta catch 'em all, Pokemon! Catch em, catch em, gotta catch em all! Oooh, gotta catch em all pokemon! Catch em, catch em, gotta catch em all! GOTTA CATCH EM ALL, POKEMON!" she finished, yelling the last line of the song. "So, Daddy, what do you think?"

"That was great, Charlie," he replied, turning the key to unlock the door to their apartment. "I'm really impressed."

"What was your favorite line?"

"I liked the last one," he told her. "You really put a lot of emotion into the Wartortle part."

"Are you sure? I think you would like the Pikachu part better," she asked him, slightly surprised her dad hadn't liked the line with Pikachu. "I can sing the song again so you can hear that line."

_No, please no! No! No! No!_ "You know what, Charlie? Daddy's got to make a really important phone call, and it's almost time for you to go to bed."

"But I'm not tired…"

"At least go change into your pajamas."

"Fine," she grumbled, stomping off to her room. Despite her anger, Ash could still hear her singing the Pokerap once more. "I want to be the best there ever was…"

Sighing, he sat down in a kitchen chair, trying to figure out what he would say to Misty tonight. He'd call her when Charlie was asleep, ensuring that she didn't hear or see anything in case something went haywire. There was a chance Misty wanted nothing to do with him, and would refuse to talk to him. If things did go okay and she was willing to talk to him, if he ever ran out of topics, he knew one thing they could talk about.

"Hey Pikachu? Do you think Misty knows the Pokerap?"

* * *

**For those who have read Journey to the Past, if you are wondering, the phone call Ash intends to make is the one Misty told Brock about in JTP. (This is more for a timeline reference, I guess). **

**Oh, and on a side note, you'll be happy to know that my Word dictionary can now recognize all the Kanto Pokemon without telling me they are spelled wrong. Hooray! Thank you Pokerap! **


	4. Sky High

~Sky High~

Charlotte: 3-years old

Summary: With Ruby out of town, Ash has the perfect opportunity to do the one thing she would never let him do-take Charlotte on Pidgeot. But despite Ash's precautions, not everything goes as planned.

* * *

The day hadn't even really started, and already Charlotte knew it was going to be tone of the best days of her life. Not only was it Saturday, but it was also her dad's day off from work. That meant that he could spend the whole day with her. But this wasn't just any Saturday. This was the Saturday she'd been counting down since Monday; this was the day her dad would take her flying on his Pidgeot. The only downside to it, however, was that her mom would not be joining them since she was out of town. Then again, according to her dad, this was their little secret, and she wasn't supposed to tell her mom about the flying adventure she would have today because her dad didn't want her mom to be sad she missed out on a fun day.

"You ready, Charlotte?" Walking out of the front door, Ash took a second to turn around and lock it. Since he had to run back inside and grab a few things before they left, he had instructed Charlotte to wait on the front porch.

"Yep!"

Jumping up off the step, she stretched her arms toward her dad, a big smile on her face. She was beyond excited. Sure, most of her friends had parents who owned Pokemon, but she was one of the only ones who would get the opportunity her dad was providing for her today. She couldn't wait to tell everyone about it at daycare on Monday; she'd be the coolest kid in school.

"Alright then," Ash replied, a small smile on his face. If there was one thing he'd never get sick of, it was the way Charlotte got so excited over the littlest things he did for her. He could let her play with Totodile, or even battle with him, and she would think he was the most amazing person to walk the face of the earth. So when he had told her that he would take her on a ride on Pidgeot, she was ecstatic. To her, this was far more superior in fun than playing with Totodile. "Before we go, let's put on your helmet and goggles, and go over some rules, okay?"

Even though Ash's more careless and wild side didn't see anything unsafe about flying on Pidgeot, the parent side of him pushed for some safety precautions. He would be fine with putting himself in danger, but when it came to Charlotte, he'd wrap her up in bubble wrap if he thought it would keep her safe. But since he knew that was a little over the top, he settled for insisting she wear a helmet and goggles to protect her eyes. And, of course, he would make sure they went over the safety rules so she didn't do something that could put both of them in danger.

Grabbing her helmet off the front porch, Charlotte handed it over to her dad so he could help her put it on. Placing it under his harm, he first helped her put on her goggles. Next, setting her helmet on her head, he pulled it down so it was tight around her head before securing the chinstrap. After that, he tightened the chinstrap so the helmet wouldn't be bobbling on her head.

"Is that okay? Not too tight?" Charlotte nodded in reply. "Okay then. You ready?"

"Ready!"

Ash laughed. Of course he was ready. But before they got going, Ash pulled out his Poke Gear so he could snap a quick photo of her. Something he never really did before, he was sure making it up for it now. While most of it had to do with him being a parent, he had a feeling he took so many pictures because, after already missing an entire year of her life, he didn't want to miss anything else. And if he ever did return to his journey, he'd have the photos to look back on.

Grabbing a Pokeball off his belt, Ash threw it up in the air, releasing Pidgeot. As the giant Bird Pokemon materialized in front of him, it expanded its feathers as it cried out its name. Picking up the harness he had purchased, he threw it over Pidgeot before leaning down to snap the ends together on the bottom. Once it was snapped shut, he used the strings to tighten it so it would stay on, but still be comfortable for Pidgeot. While he didn't actually need the harness, the small handle on the top of it would give Charlotte something to hold onto. Once Ash was confident everything was secured, he walked back over to the porch and scooped Charlotte into his arms. Walking back over, Ash gently rested her on top of Pidgeot.

"Make sure you hold onto this so you don't fall off," he instructed her, pointing to the handle atop the harness. Following her dad's instructions, Charlotte gripped the handle with all her might. Once she was safely sitting on top of Pidgeot, Ash hopped on behind her, securing her even more with his arms. Afraid he might fall off if he was on Ash's shoulder, Pikachu hopped down and squished himself between Ash and Charlie. "Okay, now here are the rules: Most important rule, don't let go. Second rule-Daddy is in charge of Pidgeot. I'll tell him where to go and what to do; you don't need to say anything. Lastly, if anything happens, you do exactly what I tell you to, okay?"

"Okay!"

"If you get scared or you think we're going too fast, let me know."

"No need to worry, Daddy. I no scared," she assured him, causing Ash to laugh. Three years old, and she was already sounding like him.

"Okay, Pidgeot, let's go!" Ash called out

With a powerful flap of its wings, Pidgeot took off, lifting Ash and Charlotte higher and higher off the ground. Once they were above the various buildings nearby, Ash instructed Pidgeot to head toward the Viridian Forest.

As they headed toward the forest, Pidgeot climbed a bit higher into the sky and sped up a bit. Once it was high enough where it would have a lesser chance of hitting a building, Pidgeot began to even itself out. After that, the wind currents took over, making it unnecessary for Pidgeot to constantly flap its wings.

Although Ash knew this was more for Charlotte, he couldn't help but enjoy himself too. It'd been a while since he'd flown on of his Pokemon, and he'd forgotten how great of a feeling it was. To add to his enjoyment, the sky was crystal clear, and there was a perfect breeze that kept it from getting too hot. Plus, even though he couldn't see her face, it appeared as if Charlotte was enjoying herself.

"Look!" she suddenly screeched, pointing toward a flock of Pidgey that were flying by a few yards ahead of them. A flock of Pidgey wasn't the most exciting thing to see, but when you saw them atop a Pokemon, it was a whole different experience. Turning her head over her shoulder so she could see her dad, Charlotte asked, "Daddy, can we go faster?"

"Faster?"

"Yeah! I no scared, so we can go faster!" While it was cool to be flying on her dad's Pidgeot, Charlotte couldn't help but think it would be even cooler if they went faster. She wanted to feel like she was going in a fast car. "Please?"

"Alright, but just a little bit faster," Ash easily gave in. "But that's it."

Grinning with joy, Charlie gripped the handle even tighter as Pidgeot picked up speed. At this speed, she could feel the wind blowing through her hair, and the world around her seemed to fly by. And while she'd never been in an airplane before, she concluded that this was what it would feel like.

After a while of flying, Ash suddenly felt Pidgeot start to angle his body toward the ground. Figuring he was adjusting his flight pattern, Ash thought nothing of it. Suddenly, though, Pidgeot gained more speed, still headed toward the ground. Not sure what was going on, Ash started to panic a bit.

"Pidgeot! What's up with you?" Ash questioned his Pokemon. It was usually well behaved, so he didn't understand why it was suddenly acting up. "Go back up!"

To Ash's shock, Pidgeot ignored him. As they got closer to the ground, Ash felt his stomach drop like he was on a roller coaster. To make matters worse, while Pidgeot did suddenly start climbing back up again, once it gained enough height, it veered left, jerking Ash and Charlie to the side. Next, it went on to suddenly veer the other way, followed by another small decent toward the ground, only to pull back up at the last second. Ash had no idea what had provoked Pidgeot to do this, but clearly his Pokemon thought it was a roller coaster.

To throw Ash off even more, and cause him to almost have a heart attack, Pidgeot suddenly did a loop. And while Ash thought his heart was about to jump out of him, Charlotte squealed with joy, enjoying ever minute of her makeshift roller coaster ride. Pikachu on the other hand felt like he was about to throw up.

"Wheeeeeeeeee!" Charlotte squealed some more, breaking one of her dad's rules to throw her hands in the hair. And despite quickly instructing her to put her hands back on the handle, Ash couldn't help but laugh a bit. "Again! Again!"

_Well, at least she's enjoying it. And I was worried she'd be scared? _

After a few more minutes of acting like he was a roller coaster, Pidgeot finally calmed down, returning to his normal flight pattern. Afraid Pidgeot might suddenly act up again, Ash instructed the Bird Pokemon to head back home. If you asked him, they'd been out there long enough.

OOOO

Once they were finally home, Pidgeot, much to Ash's relief, safely landed them in front of their apartment. Hopping off Pidgeot, Ash took a second to get used to the ground beneath his feet before helping Charlotte off. As he was doing this, though, he heard the front door to his apartment slam behind him.

"What are you doing?" Whipping around with Charlotte in his arms, Ash came face to face with a very confused looking Ruby. Ash had been panicked when Pidgeot had suddenly acted up, but seeing Ruby, who wasn't supposed to be home, standing on their front porch, petrified him. Not daring to say anything, Ash watched as Ruby's eyes skimmed over Pidgeot, Charlotte's protective gear, the harness, and finally, their messy hair. As she connected the dots, her eyes went wide. "Are you insane!?" she shrieked, running over to him and immediately snatching Charlotte out of his hands. "Are you okay, sweetie?" Setting Charlotte on the ground, she kneeled down beside her and frantically searched her for any scratches or broken bones. Ash took this time to recall Pidgeot. "You're not hurt are you?"

"No," Charlotte replied, shaking her head. "I'm not hurt, Mommy."

Feeling a bit relieved that Charlotte was injury free, Ruby kindly instructed her to go back in the house and wash up for dinner. Sensing that things looked bad, Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulder and followed Charlotte inside. Once Ruby was sure Pikachu and Charlotte were inside, she turned on Ash, her eyes blazing with anger.

"Now before you get mad, just hear me out," Ash tried to say, but he knew it was no use. Ruby was going to kill him.

"What were you thinking, Ash? Taking her up on Pidgeot?" Ruby inquired, firing off question after question. She couldn't believe what Ash had done. "Do you not know how dangerous that is? What if something had happened? What if she fell and got hurt?"

Ash was cornered without anything to say. No matter how much he tried to assure Ruby that Charlotte had been perfectly safe, she would never believe him. It didn't help that she hated Bird Pokemon either. To her, they were terrifying, dangerous, danger inviting things. And to fly on them? That was out of the question for her. With that in mind, Ash knew there was no way she would ever be okay with him taking Charlotte on Pidgeot. But that's why he had told Charlotte not to say anything. He'd told her it was because he didn't want Ruby to be sad she missed out, but that had been one giant lie to hide what he was doing from Ruby.

Ruby had been out of town, allowing him the perfect time to take Charlotte on Pidgeot. And if he could convince his daughter not to say anything to Ruby, she would never find out. But she had come up while they were gone, and there was no way he'd get out of this.

"Well?" she shouted, impatient that he had yet to answer her. She wanted answers, and he was just standing there. "Tell me, Ash. What crazy thought was going through your head when you decided to put our three-year old daughter on that…that…Death Trap!"

"I thought she'd have fun?" he replied, hesitation in his voice. "And she did."

"FUN! YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN?" Ruby was livid now.

"Hey! Just because you don't like Bird Pokemon or flying, doesn't mean she's the same way," Ash shot back. And with a smirk he knew would tick Ruby off even more, he added, "And isn't you who's always saying how we should encourage her to try new things?"

Ruby clenched her fists in response, refusing to give in. It was true she wanted to encourage her daughter to try new things, but flying on Bird Pokemon was not on that list. The only problem, however, was that Ash did not see things her way. She admired his wanting to get Charlotte acquainted with Pokemon, but there were plenty of other ways he could do that. And, knowing she would never agree to let Charlotte go with him, he'd gone behind her back

"Ruby?" Ash called out, gently resting his hand on her arm. His words had given him the exact reaction he wanted, but he wasn't so sure he liked it. Silence from Ruby in a situation like this was unnerving. Plus, he was pretty sure he could see her starting to shake a bit. Although he hadn't intentionally meant to, he'd upset her and he felt really bad about it. It wasn't her fault she had reacted the way she did. She was terrified of birds, so it made sense that she would freak out upon finding out he'd taken their three-year old daughter flying on one. "Come here," he said, pulling her arm to bring her closer to him. Wrapping his arms around her, he let her burry her head into his shirt as he rested his chin on her head. "I'm really sorry, Rubes."

Clamping part of his shirt in her fist, she tried to stop her tears, as he gently stroked her hair. She knew it was a bit over reactive to cry, but she was so scared. After he had confirmed her thoughts on what they had been doing, her mind had instantly gone haywire, images of everything that could have gone wrong flying through her brain. If anything had happened to Charlotte, she'd never be able to forgive him. Charlotte was everything to her; if anything happened to her, Ruby didn't know what she'd do.

OOOO

Meanwhile, Charlotte sat in her room with Pikachu keeping a careful watch on her. "Pikachu," she called out to he little mouse. Hearing his name, Pikachu directed his attention toward Charlotte. "Want to know a secret?"

"Pi?"

Quickly checking the area for any sign of her parents, Charlotte crawled over to Pikachu, stopping to kneel right in front of him.

"I told Pidgeot to do those tricks."

With that said, she put a finger to her lips as she grinned back at Pikachu.


	5. Rough Patches

_~Rough Patches~_

Charlie: 4-years old

Summary: Charlie's very upset, and while Ash knows it has something to do with Ruby, he can't do anything to help her if she won't talk to him. Desperate to find a way to cheer her up, Ash turns to a friend to help him uncover what's really upsetting Charlie.

Not a super happy one, but I hope you still enjoy it.

* * *

Ash sighed as he sat at the kitchen table, phone in his hand. When he'd woken up this morning, he never expected his day to turn out like this. But leave it to his daughter to throw him for a loop when he was least expecting it. He didn't blame her for what happened-he never would-but dealing with her when she was like this exhausted him. Most importantly, however, it made him feel helpless. He hated not being able to help people, and it only felt worse when it was his own daughter. After all, he was her dad; he was the person she was supposed to turn to when she needed help, but all she seemed to do was push him away when she had her meltdowns about Ruby. To her, he was never good enough; all she wanted was Ruby.

"Hello?" Hearing the voice on the other end of the phone, Ash directed his thoughts to the conversation. "Ash?"

"Hi, Julia," Ash greeted Grayson's mom. "I'm sorry to bother you, but Charlie's having one of her meltdowns over Ruby and I don't know what to do. I've tried everything, but she keeps pushing me away. I just don't know what to do anymore."

"It's okay, Ash." This hadn't been the first time he had called Ms. Stewart, and she never felt like he was ever bothering her. If anything, she understood what he was going through since Grayson sometimes reacted the same way about his dad. In fact, she'd even called Ash a few times to come over and talk to Grayson since Ash could understand what Grayson was going through better than Ms. Stewart. So, for Ash to call her regarding Charlie wasn't a nuisance at all. "Would you like me to talk to her?"

"I'd really appreciate that," Ash replied, willing to try anything. "She won't talk to me, so you might have better luck than I did."

"No problem, Ash."

Standing up, Ash headed over to Charlie's room, where she had buried herself under the covers, refusing to come out. Every time he tried to talk to her, she'd tell him to go away, saying that she wanted Ruby. The only ones who had successfully made it in there was Pikachu and Totodile, her favorite Pokemon of his.

Upon reaching Charlie's room, Ash turned the knob and pushed the door open. Everything appeared the way he had left it only a few minutes ago, and she was still buried under the covers. "Hey, Charlie," Ash gently called as he walked over to her bed. Moving some stuffed animals out of the way, he cleared a place for him to sit. Resting his hand on her exposed arm, he gently rubbed it. "Ms. Stewart's on the phone, and she'd love to talk to you. I told her you were sad, and she insisted I let her cheer you up."

From the other end of the line, Ms. Stewart smiled. She hadn't known Ash for very long, but she admired how much he cared for Charlie, and how he seemed to go out of his way to make her feel better. He'd been faced with some pretty tough things, such as having to jump into the whole parent role, and then Ruby had left him to take care of Charlie on his own. Despite this, Ms. Stewart couldn't help but think that Ash had handled things very well. Sure, like any parent, he wasn't perfect and he tended to get overwhelmed, but even she could see how hard he tried to raise Charlie well, despite everything the two of them had gone through.

Much to Ash's relief, Charlie actually turned to face him as she sat up. This relief didn't last very long, though. Her face was stained with tears, and her eyes were all red, and there was dried snot around her nose. Grabbing a Kleenex off her dresser, Ash took a moment to clean her face, hoping it would help her appearance a bit.

"You want to talk to Ms. Stewart?" Ash offered once more, throwing the dirty Kleenex into the trash. Charlie slowly nodded her head. "Alright. Here you go," he replied, handing the phone over to her.

"Hi there Charlie," Ash heard Julia say on the other end. Just like he pictured any mom, her voice was warm and welcoming. It reminded him of his own mom a bit. No wonder he tended to call her when he was lost about Charlie. "Your dad told me you're down in the dumps today, and I thought that can't be possible. My Charlie's always smiling. Is everything okay, sweetie?"

"No," Charlie shook her head. "I'm sad today, Ms. Stewart."

Even though Charlie was still little, she already cared a lot about privacy. And since she seemed to be already opening up a lot more to Ms. Stewart than she had to him, Ash decided it was best to leave so he didn't make her nervous. Standing back up, he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"I'll be in the family room if you need anything," he told her.

With that said, he walked out of her room, shutting the door behind him. Heading down to their small living room, he plopped down on the couch and flipped on the TV. Stopping on a channel that was featuring a Pokemon Battle, Ash sat back and tried to watch. He couldn't, though, his mind racing with worries about Charlie. He knew she was in good hands with Ms. Stewart, but he was too concerned about her to focus on the battle.

OOOO

Glancing at his watch, Ash started to get even more impatient. Almost twenty minutes had gone by, and Charlie had yet to emerge from her room.

"Daddy?" he finally heard her call from the top of the steps. It wasn't her normal yelling to him voice, however. It sounded tired and lacked the energy she usually put behind it. Jumping off the couch, he raced over to see her standing at the top of the steps, Pikachu and Totodile by her side, the phone still in her hand. "Ms. Stewart wants to talk to you."

"Thanks, Charlie," he replied, taking the phone from her extended hand. Pressing it against his ear, he stopped where he was. "Hey, Julia. How'd it go?"

"Well, you were right about what's upsetting her," Ms. Stewart reported. "She really misses Ruby, and she doesn't think Ruby loves her because she doesn't come to visit her." Hearing this made Ash's heart wrench in pain. Charlie didn't think Ruby loved her? "I guess she's having a tough time at daycare, too. She told me the kids ask her where Ruby is a lot. She tells them Ruby's on a Pokemon journey, but then some kids have parents who are gone for a long time, and they always ask her if Ruby calls or sends her gifts like their parents do. Charlie's obviously noticed that Ruby doesn't do that and she doesn't understand why. She's too young to understand the real reason, so she just assumes it's because Ruby doesn't love her. Charlie didn't say anything specifically to me, but I have a suspicion she also thinks she's to blame for why Ruby left."

"What?"

Ash couldn't believe it. Ruby leaving had nothing to do with Charlie. There was no way Charlie actually believed that she was to blame for Ruby leaving. But according to Ms. Stewart, it was very likely Charlie felt this way, and it would explain a lot of her behavior toward the subject.

"Grayson felt the same way when his father and I separated," Ms. Stewart explained. "He thought it was his fault. Charlie and him are too young to understand why those things happened, so blaming it on something they did is an easier explanation for the why."

"But what can I do?"

It was great to be able to finally understand a bit about why Charlie was so upset over Ruby, but he wanted to know more about how he could help her. He was a take action kind of person, so he didn't want to just stand there and wait for her to feel better when there might be something he could now do to lift her spirits.

"There's no much you can do for her Ash," Ms. Stewart informed him. "All you can do is be there for her, even if she pushes you away. I assure you she really loves you, but right now she misses Ruby more. There's not much you can do to change that. Right now she wants her mom, but when she wants her dad she'll come to you. And don't worry, Ash. I can promise you that, although she may not act like it, Charlie very well knows that she can always depend on you."

"Well, at least I don't have to worry about that." Despite feeling pretty helpless, he could at least be comforted by the fact that Charlie didn't think she could come to him for comfort. "I'll remember what you said, and see what happens. Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it."

"Anytime, Ash."

"You want to say anything else to Ms. Stewart before I hang up?" Ash asked Charlie. Still not really talkative with her dad, Charlie shook her head. "Okay then. I guess that's it for now."

"If she thinks of anything else, don't hesitate to call. I'll be up for a while," Ms. Stewart informed him.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind," Ash chuckled. "See you later, Julia."

"Goodbye, Ash."

Hanging up the phone, Ash sat down on the top step, setting the phone on the ground next to him. He hadn't been the one crying, but he was just as exhausted as Charlie. Feeling a sudden weight on his shoulder, Ash glanced to the right to see Charlie sitting next to him; the added weight was her head resting atop his shoulder.

"How are you feeling?" Ash asked. "Did Ms. Stewart help cheer you up?"

Charlie nodded. "She's a very nice lady."

"No doubt about that one, Charlie," Ash agreed, unable to deny the fact that Ms. Stewart went above and beyond to help him and Charlie. "And remember, if you ever want to talk to her again, you can call anytime."

"Okay."

As an uneasy silence fell between the two, Ash tried to think of something to distract Charlie from what she was upset about. Knowing the perfect thing, Ash cracked a small smile.

"You want some ice cream?"

Most parents would have probably yelled at him for offering ice cream to Charlie so late at night, but he didn't care. Screw the health rules; this was a special case.

Unable to deny her love of ice cream, Charlie couldn't help but smile. "Yeah."

"Okay!" Ash yelled, hopping up from the step. Following Ash's motions, Charlie leaped up, stretching her arms out toward her dad. Picking her up, he pulled her close, allowing her to snuggle into the crook of his neck. "Let's go get some ice cream!"

Once in the kitchen, Ash used his free arm to grab the bowls and spoons from the cabinet. Heading over the freezer, he pulled out the tub of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, he and Charlie's favorite.

"Daddy?" she suddenly called.

"Yeah Charlie?"

"Are you going to leave like Mommy did?"

Despite the bewilderment about why Charlie would even think to Ash him this question, Ash didn't miss a beat as he continued to scoop the ice cream like he wasn't stunned at all.

"Never, Charlie." Setting her on the ground he picked up their bowls of ice cream and set them at the kitchen table. And as he handed her a spoon, he told her, "I love my Little Charizard too much."

* * *

Eh..somewhat cheesy ending, but oh well. I still liked the way it turned out.


	6. Pokemon, I Choose You!

_~Pokemon, I Choose You!~___

Charlie: 10-years Old

Summary:Charlie heads to Pallet Town to get her first Pokemon!

(Takes place right before Chapter 1 of Journey to the Past)

Requested by xLunaxNightingaleXDuskx

* * *

As the door in front of her started to open, Charlie held her breath. She knew there was no reason to be afraid of the person behind the door, but she was still scared of everything in general. This was the first big thing she'd done on her own, and she knew from now on there would many other things. Until now, she'd never traveled anywhere on her own, let alone anywhere very far from Viridian City. Today, though, she'd traveled all the way to Pallet Town all on her own. Well, mostly on her own. She had brought her dad's Totodile and Buizel to help protect her.

"Ah, you must be Charlie," an older man greeted her with a quizzical look. Quickly looking her over, his look of puzzlement morphed into a smile. "Good to see you're on time. You're already off to a better start than your father."

Hearing the mention of her dad, Charlie lifted her head up to stare at the man. "My dad got his Pokemon here, too?" she asked.

Earlier in the week she'd received a box from her parents that she wasn't allowed to open until a few days before her 10th birthday. Inside she found several envelopes and note cards with names and numbers on them. Each note card had a city in the Kanto region along with a riddle describing someone who was only identified by a nickname. And after each envelope addressed to a stranger, there was an envelope addressed to her.

When she'd opened the first envelope addressed to her, she'd discovered that it was from none other than her dad. In the letter he had written her, he'd explained how she was supposed to use the note cards to find people he'd always wanted to introduce her to when she was little. He'd given each person a nickname that gave her a little bit of information about each person, but in the end it was up to her to find everyone. When she did, she was supposed to give them the envelope that matched their nickname and then read the one addressed to her.

Before she started this scavenger hunt, as he had called it, she was supposed to go to Pallet Town and get her first Pokemon from none other than the famous Professor Oak. He had neglected to mention to her that this was also where he had obtained his first Pokemon. Then again, he'd never really told her much about his past or the traveling he'd done as a Pokemon Trainer.

"This is where he got his Pikachu," Professor Oak replied, giving Charlie a look that seemed to question why she didn't already know this. He knew they'd never known about Charlie, but hadn't Ash at least told her about them? "You're mother also got her first Pokemon here."

"She did? What did she get?" Charlie asked, eager to learn more about her biological mom. Just like her dad's past, very little had been mentioned about her mom. After she had left when Charlie was three, her dad typically didn't talk about her.

"A Bulbasaur," Professor Oak revealed. "But how about we find out what Pokemon you will choose? I don't know about you, but I'm quite curious myself."

"Okay," Charlie relented.

Walking through the door that Professor Oak held open for her, she followed him through the lab where he was keeping the starter Pokemon. As she walked down the hall, she glanced around the room, eyes wide in amazement. She'd never been in a lab before, and there were so many interesting looking machines that she'd love to ask what he used them for.

"Your parents told me you considered not going on your journey," Professor remarked, trying to strike up a conversation with Charlie. He could tell she was very nervous, and he hoped he could learn why by talking to her. Even though he'd known she was coming years before she did, he was unsure of what to say to her. "I'll admit I was quite surprised to learn this."

"Oh. Yeah."

Ever since she was a little kid, she'd loved Pokemon and she'd dreamed about the day she'd finally get to go on her journey. After her dad had passed away, though, she'd lost that desire to travel. She wasn't exactly sure why she no longer had the same excitement about her journey, but she was confident it had something to do with her dad no longer being there. She'd always imagined he'd be there, helping her along the way and giving her advice about battling and what Pokemon to catch. Sure, her parents knew about Pokemon, and had some of their own, but it was her dad who knew a lot more about training them and traveling than Christina and Daniel. And now that her dad was gone and everything had changed, Charlie felt lost without her dad.

"Are you nervous?" Professor Oak asked. "If so, I wouldn't worry too much. Many trainers are nervous about leaving home and traveling on their own. For many of them, this is the first time they've been away from home."

"No," she answered back. "I just always imagined my dad would be there to help me out. That's all."

"I see."

With that said, silence fell between them as Charlie and Professor Oak entered the area in which he kept the starter Pokemon. Walking over to the center of the room, Professor Oak stopped in front of a machine that contained three Pokeballs in a small glass dome.

"Ahh!" Professor Oak heard Charlie scream.

Turning around, he saw her trapped in one of Muk's notorious hugs. While Charlie looked scared and panicked, Professor Oak couldn't help but notice how happy Muk was. He wondered if the purple Pokemon remembered Charlie from when she was younger.

"Muk!" Muk cried, knocking Charlie to the ground in his attempt to hug her even tighter.

"Please get off of me!" she shrieked as she continued to fight to try and push Muk off of her.

"Muk! That's no way to greet our guest," Professor Oak chided Ash's over-friendly Pokemon. "Please get off."

Giving into Professor Oak's demanded, Muk slid off Charlie, a depressed look on his face. He hated being yelled at, especially by Professor Oak who was one of his favorite people. Once Muk had let go of her, Charlie stood up and brushed herself up. Walking over to Professor Oak, she made sure to put a large distance between her and Muk.

"Sorry about that," Professor Oak apologized. "Muk is very friendly."

"Yeah…friendly," Charlie muttered under her breath so Professor Oak couldn't hear her. "Crazy Pokemon."

Once she reached Professor Oak, Charlie stopped and stared at the three Pokeballs resting in the machine. She knew which Pokemon were probably in the three Pokeballs, but something seemed odd to her.

"Shouldn't there be four?" she asked.

"Four?" Professor Oak asked, confused by Charlie's question.

"Yeah, four! Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander, and Pikachu," she said. "Those are the Pokemon you can pick in Kanto right? My dad picked Pikachu, and you said my mom picked Bulbasaur."

Professor Oak crinkled his eyebrows in astonishment. "Charlie, there are only three Pokemon to choose from in Kanto. They are Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charmander."

"But how'd my dad get Pikachu?" Charlie asked, now the one confused. "If he could only pick from those three, why didn't he pick one of them instead of Pikachu?"

"When your dad started his journey, he woke up late and when he got here, all the Pokemon had been taken. He still really wanted one, and Pikachu was the only one I had left," Professor Oak explained. "Didn't he tell you that?"

"No," Charlie mumbled as she stared down at the floor in embarrassment. She felt like in idiot, thinking there were four starter Pokemon to choose from. "He didn't tell me much about his past."

"Oh?"

"I knew he was a trainer, and when I was little he ran a training center in Viridian, but he never talked about when he used to travel."

Professor Oak wouldn't lie; he found this very odd. He would have thought that Ash would have at least told Charlie about how he'd traveled through different regions in his quest to become a Pokemon Master, but it appeared as if he'd left his daughter in the dark. Professor Oak was disappointed in Ash and his decision, but he knew he couldn't tell Charlie that. She would learn more and more about it as she followed the scavenger hunt Ash had put in place for her. While he could only tell her so much, she would soon meet those who could tell her so much more than he ever could about Ash's journeys.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about it," Professor Oak assured her. "After all, this is the town of new beginnings, and what better way to start a new chapter in your life than by picking your first Pokemon?"

Scanning her eyes over the Pokeballs in front of her, Charlie reached out her hand and picked the one in the center, smiling as she did. "This one."

"Ah, Charmander, the fire starter. If you want to go far in training, you've picked a powerful Pokemon, " Professor Oak remarked. "The trainer who last picked Charmander went on to become the Champion, I believe."

"Really? That's cool!"

"You're father had a Charmander, too," Professor Oak informed her. "Although when it evolved into a Charmeleon and then a Charizard, it refused to listen to him. They eventually learned to trust each other, but it took quite a while."

"I know," Charlie replied, much to Professor Oak's surprise. How could she know about that when Ash hadn't told her anything about when he was a trainer? "That's why I picked it!"

_She's picking a Pokemon because it disobeyed Ash?_ Professor Oak didn't know what to say to this.

Seeing that Professor Oak was looking at her as if she was crazy, Charlie decided she should probably clear some things up. "It's because of my dad's Charizard that I got the nickname Little Charizard. I used to disobey him all the time like his Charizard used to, so he started calling me his Little Charizard," she explained, smiling a bit at the memory. "When he passed away, I decided that I would pick Charmander as my starter because I thought it would make me…I don't know…feel closer to him."

"I see," Professor Oak nodded in understanding. Pulling a Pokedex and some Pokeballs out of his pocket he handed it over to Charlie. "Your Pokedex will serve as your information guide as well as your ID. It will gather information on all the Pokemon you see and catch, and you can use it to reserve rooms at the Pokemon Center and register for tournaments."

Grabbing the Pokedex from Professor Oak, Charlie flipped it open, causing the machine to turn on. As the Pokedex began to state information about her, Charlie panicked a bit. "Professor Oak?" she called. "Could you change it so it doesn't say Ketchum?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want to be known as Charlotte Ketchum. I think it would be better as if I went by Charlotte West."

Although Professor Oak didn't know why Charlie wanted this, he was more than happy to oblige. He wanted her to go on this journey because he knew it would help her.

"Certainly," he replied, taking the Pokedex back from her.

"Thank you."

Charlie felt a little bad that she was being difficult, but she wasn't ready for people to find out who she was. Plus, she didn't want to offend Christina and Daniel, who had taken care of her ever since her dad died.

OOOO

With her newly obtained Pokemon, Pokedex, and Pokeballs, Charlie followed Professor Oak as he escorted her out of the lab. As they were heading down the hallway, however, she heard the front door open and close on its own. Directing her line of sight toward the end of the hallway, she watched as a man with brown hair turned the corner.

"Hey, Gramps!" the man greeted Professor Oak. Noticing Charlie standing off to the side, the man smirked. "You must be a new trainer. What Pokemon did you pick? I'm sure you picked Squirtle. Only best trainers know to pick Squirtle if they want to be successful."

Glancing down at the Pokeball in her hands, Charlie brushed her thumb across the side. Before she could answer, Professor Oak stepped in. "She chose Charmander," Professor Oak informed his grandson. "Gary, this is Charlie…West. She's just starting her journey today. Charlie, this is my grandson, Gary."

"I see," Gary replied. Staring at Charlie, he noticed something rather odd about her, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. "Well, I'm just here to pick up some things. Good luck, Charlie."

With that said, Charlie watched as Gary brushed past them and continued on further down the hallway. Although she couldn't remember how or why, Gary's name sounded very familiar to her.

"So where are you headed next?" Professor Oak inquired as he opened the front door for her. "Most trainers head to Pewter City first."

"Well you see…" Charlie trailed off as she pulled out the note card for the first part of the scavenger hunt. "My dad created this whole scavenger hunt for me, and he told me to go to Cerulean City first. I don't know if I should do it, though. I mean…I don't even know if I want to go on this journey."

While Professor Oak knew about the scavenger hunt Charlie was referring to, he found it odd that Ash would send her to Cerulean first. Then again, it really didn't matter where Ash told her to go first. What mattered to Professor Oak is that Charlie went on her journey and followed Ash's scavenger hunt. He knew it would help her immensely.

"Why, I say you go and see what you discover," Professor Oak advised her, trying to not give too much away. After all, if he helped her, it would ruin what she was supposed to discover on her own. "I think it might do you some good. Unlike me, those people can tell you everything you could ever want to know about when your father was a trainer."

"They can?" As she had learned in the short amount of time she'd been in the lab, there was a lot more she didn't know about her dad as a trainer. According to Professor Oak, these people in the scavenger hunt could tell her more, and she really did want to know as much as she could. Still.. "But I don't even know who these people are. What if they don't like me? What if they don't want to meet me?"

"If there's one thing I can promise you, Charlie, it is that these people need you more than you think." Not understanding exactly what Professor Oak meant, Charlie tilted her head to the side in confusion. "I can't tell you much, but I can tell you that you have the answer to a question they've been wanting to know for years."

"I do?"

Professor Oak nodded.

Taking a moment, Charlie thought long and hard about what Professor Oak had told her. If she had the answer to a question that these people had wanted to know for years, it was her duty to make sure it was answered. They'd waited this long, and if she decided not to follow her dad's scavenger hunt, they would never know.

But she was scared. As she had told Professor Oak, she didn't know exactly who these people are or why her dad wanted her to meet them. She feared there was a chance they could hate her, or that something in her dad's letter to them would cause them to hate her.

But her dad was counting on her. Since he had passed away, he couldn't deliver the letters himself, so he'd left it up to her. She owed it to him to make sure these people got the letters, no matter the consequences. If she didn't, her dad's words would mean nothing.

"You're right," Charlie stated, a renewed sense of energy in her. Her journey would be her fresh start. She's always imagined her dad would be there when she turned ten, but things have changed. But that shouldn't stop her from going. She'd still go, but she'd make sure this journey helped change her life for the better. And this scavenger hunt would be that change she needed. "I have to do this."

"That's the spirit," Professor Oak smiled. "Now your sounding more like your father."

"Thank you for helping me," Charlie told Professor Oak.

"My pleasure. If you ever need anything else, just call," Professor Oak informed her. "You be safe now, okay? Make sure to call when you reach Cerulean."

"I will."

Hopping on her bike, Charlie swung her backpack forward so she could put her newly acquired Charmander inside. "You and I are going to be best friends," Charlie whispered to the Pokeball, a smile on her face. Placing it inside her bag, she turned around to wave goodbye to Professor Oak. "Bye Professor Oak!"

"Goodbye, Charlie!" Professor Oak waved back. "You take care now!"

Pushing down on the pedals, Charlie took off toward Viridian City.


End file.
